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2nd Chance Pts

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Fastbreak Pts

Bench Pts

SANTA CLARA, CALIF. - The USC Upstate men's basketball team returns to the hardwood Friday afternoon at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic, taking on Utah Valley to cap a three-game stint in California.

The Spartans went down to the wire Wednesday evening against Eastern Washington but fell 75-70, while Utah Valley battled Santa Clara and dropped a 75-67 decision to the Broncos. In the first-ever meeting between Upstate and Utah Valley, both clubs will be looking to leave the Golden State with a win.

Fans can follow Upstate against Utah Valley through a live video broadcast by clicking here and live in-game statistics by clicking here. ESPN Spartanburg 97.1 FM and 1400 AM will broadcast the game that can also be heard online by clicking here. Fans can follow on twitter @UPSTMBB and can join the conversation with the hashtag #UpstateHoops.

Story Lines

Upstate is looking to break its current three-game skid and avoid the program's first four-game losing streak since a five-game stretch at the end of the 2010-11 season. A win Friday afternoon would also snap a string of seven straight losses away from The Hodge Center.

The Spartans could not buy a three-pointer in Wednesday's loss to Eastern Washington, going 3-for-17 from long range for a dismal 17 percent. Upstate was 1-for-6 in the first half and 2-for-11 in the second half as Eastern Washington outscored the Spartans by 24 points from behind the arc.

California has proved to not be so golden for Upstate, as the Spartans have dropped back-to-back games and shot just 39 percent from the floor and 15 percent from long range. Upstate has also been outscored by 20 points in the first half of those two games.

Currently in the midst of a six-game road trip, the Spartans will fly back to the state of South Carolina Saturday morning before traveling to nearby UNC Asheville Thursday evening. Upstate will cap the season-long road swing with a trip to Kansas State to Sunday afternoon to battle the Wildcats.

In his first start of the season on Wednesday, Adrian Rodgers was on point, going 8-for-10 from the field and connecting on his only three-point attempt for a season-high 17 points. The double-digit scoring performance was his second in as many games and third of the season.

With his 14-point outing against Eastern Washington on Wednesday, Torrey Craig ran his double-digit scoring performances to five straight games to open the season. He has now reached double figures in 23 of his last 26 games dating back to a 20-point performance at South Carolina last December.

The Spartans got a lift off the bench against Eastern Washington with 23 points coming from non-starters. Jodd Maxey paced the reserves with a season-high 10 points and his first double-digit scoring effort of the season, while Ty Greene followed nine points and added three steals.

Utah Valley features a balanced scoring attack with six players averaging at least 7.0 points per game, while Ben Aird leads the way with 13.8 points per contest. The Wolverines turn the ball over 13.8 times a game for a -3.7 turnover margin.

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The University of South Carolina Upstate is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and masters degrees.Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1865 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, 30033or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of USC Upstate.